The Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) and NexGen Golf Academy have entered into an agreement that will provide for the expansion of golf training and practice at the Woolford Avenue location in Georgetown.
President of GTU Mark Lyte said: “As the vanguard of learning, it is our duty to explore all options that enable our teachers and students to explore new horizons and experiences. The fact that we have golf in our sports curriculum but previously had no facility for students to learn was a major concern and by partnering with NexGen Golf Academy, we have effectively solved several problems at once.”
General Secretary Coretta McDonald was the driving force behind the collaboration that will see an upgrade of the entire grounds, a portion will be shared by the entities for various sports and other activities and a portion dedicated to golfing activities.
“I have always seen golf as an opportunity for building character, development of young minds, whilst creating a strong mental focus. The bonus is that there are international scholarship opportunities tied to golf that we as Guyanese have been missing out on, and I want that to stop.”
The Academy, under the supervision of the Guyana Golf Association, will commence training of sports directors and PE teachers, who will then take the sport back to their local districts and in turn teach the theoretical aspects of the game. Students will then attend the Academy for practical training.
With over 11,000 teachers under the GTU umbrella, this partnership will allow for the rapid promotion and expansion of the sport to all regions of the country.
General Secretary McDonald stated: “With golf now an Olympic sport, it is our hope that we will discover raw talent that can be moulded to represent our country in the shortest time possible.”
“GTU provides a host of services to their teachers including ongoing training, bursaries to teachers and their families, support in various manners and recognition of their incredible efforts to mould a nation’s young minds. All teachers and their families will receive special rates and consideration at the Academy as a benefit of this relationship.”
Rudy Ramalingum, the Director of NexGen Golf Academy, said: “The Golf Academy will install a magnificent putting green, sand bunkers and several short practice holes for new students and children to have their first golfing experience. Additionally, a centre is being constructed to provide video and full swing training analysis that will be available in a few weeks for all to really be able to learn the game at the highest levels and improve the performance of current players.”
Completion of the renovations of the ground will include elevation, drainage, fencing, security lights and cameras and landscaping.
President of the Guyana Golf Association Aleem Hussain stated: “There will be several training camps set in place for new players and children (Pro Golfer Colin Ming is spearheading the children’s programme having recently donated dozens of clubs to the Academy).”
The Academy provides all equipment and balls and is an option to exercise in a manner that conforms with the COVID-19 restrictions with the cost for children being as low as G$500 per hour.
Persons interested in learning the game, can contact the Academy on its Facebook/Instagram page (NexGen Golf Academy), call 645-0944 or simply stop by the facility, conveniently located on Woolford Avenue between Camp and Albert Streets.
